Mike Schultz's unlikely journey to becoming Utah House speaker

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers will kick off the busy 45-day legislative session this week.

One of the key players on Capitol Hill is House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, who will preside over his second session since ascending to the office in late 2023. It's one of the highest, most influential positions in state government.

Schultz, 49, describes himself as "very, very, very conservative" but also recognizes many don't see things exactly the way he does.

"I am the speaker of the whole House," he said, "not just the Republican Party."

Schultz sat down with KSL-TV for an exclusive interview about his unlikely personal journey that brought him immense business success – and made him one of the most powerful people in the state.

Early life

On the west side of Weber County is a place called Hooper, a city of just under 10,000 people.

But be careful. If you say it wrong, Schultz will probably point it out. The double-o in the city's name sounds like "book."

"I have to correct them all the time," Schultz said, laughing.

The speaker of the Utah House of Representatives grew up in Hooper and still lives there. "I would not be who I am without this community," Schultz said.

His childhood was idyllic, he said, but not especially prosperous.

"I had amazing parents, but we grew up always a little bit below middle class," Schultz said.

Schultz witnessed his parents deal with financial concerns, and he grew up hauling wood to heat the house.

"I think that helped me understand the value of money and how important it is, and as you earned it, to save it and to reinvest it, and to be smart with it," he said. "Those same skills, I try to take to the Capitol building."

Reflecting on where he is now, Schultz often can't believe it. "I never in a million years thought I'd ever be speaker of the House," he said.

Business success

Schultz credits the state and his hometown with helping him get where he is. And it started with worms.

"I had a sign up in our front yard and out by the street that said 'worms, $1.99 a dozen,'" Schultz remembered. He was just 10 years old.

That first business venture – selling worms to fishermen – led to others. At 16, he started hauling hay. Then it was roofing and framing houses. By age 20, Schultz was a homebuilder.

"I have worked really hard," Schultz said. "I live by a motto of I'm going to outwork anybody, and I'm going to be smart, and I'm going to learn from my mistakes."

His business career took off. Schultz became a millionaire in his 20s, he said, and hasn't looked back.

On his most recent conflict of interest form filed with the state, Schultz listed 25 businesses he owns and makes money from. That includes a large ranching operation, real estate – especially apartment complexes – and an auto dealership.

He's even involved in aviation. Schultz owns a private jet. But he doesn't disclose his net worth, and he doesn't love talking about it.

"Yeah, I do have those things, and I feel very fortunate to be able to. I'm not going to hide from it," Schultz said. "But I also hope people don't judge me because of that. I hope people judge me on how I treat them, how they see me work, and I try to lead by example, and I hope that's how people view me."

Public service

After a while in business, around 2012, Schultz said he started yearning for more.

"I was looking for something different," he said. "I wanted to give back."

He ran for the Legislature in 2014 and won. During his first session, he sat near another lawmaker, Angela Romero, who would become a friend.

"He just reminds me of all the cowboys I grew up with in Tooele," said Romero, D-Salt Lake City.

Romero and Schultz are far apart on the political spectrum, but she's fond of the Republican from northern Utah.

"Schultz is like my brother," Romero said. "I love to tease him, and he takes it well."

Over the years, they both climbed the leadership ladder in the Legislature. Romero is now the House minority leader. Schultz became speaker in late 2023 after former Speaker Brad Wilson resigned to run for U.S. Senate.

"I feel like we have a great friendship as well as work together," Romero said of Schultz.

But Republicans hold a supermajority with 61 seats in the House of Representatives. Democrats have just 14 seats.

"Is it hard for me sometimes? Yes, because I'm in the super minority," said Romero. "But he always lets me have my voice."

Occasionally, it gets heated.

"He and I have a strong disagreement, he knows to stay away from me," Romero said, "and then he'll come check in with me."

"Sometimes you just have to agree to disagree," added Schultz, "and I can still be friends with people that I disagree with."

Schultz is unapologetic about Republican domination of state politics. He's frequently outspoken on hot-button conservative issues.

"I also recognize that 85% of the state is probably somewhere left of me," Schultz said, "and so, it's my job to take and find what's best for all citizens of the state and move forward."

Family, faith, and future

In many respects, Schultz doesn't fit the mold of past House speakers. He's often seen wearing jeans and cowboy boots – even on Capitol Hill.

"I'm not going to change who I am to fit the position," he said. "I'm going to be who I am, and that's what's going to come first, and so that's why I'm not afraid to be a little bit different."

As leader of the House, Schultz said he has also stepped away from day-to-day management of his business interests.

"The role of the speaker is very demanding, and I want to make sure that I'm giving it 100% my all," he said. "It forces you to back out of some of the other areas in your life."

Schultz is married to his second wife, Melissa. They have a blended family of six children and soon-to-be four grandchildren. The House speaker is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and said his faith has shaped him in "a whole lot of ways."

"It's what made me want to give back," he said, "and it's what made me want to come into public service."

Asked if he wants to run for higher office one day, Schultz said he doesn't – at least right now.

"I have no intentions of running for higher office," he said, before adding, "I never say never."

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox was just inaugurated for a second term, but he has said multiple times he's not running for reelection in 2028.

"That's four years away," Schultz said of a potential run for governor. "That's a long ways away."

He added, "I truly feel that if I'm worried about what am I going to do next in running for a higher office or running for a different office, I'm missing the whole point of public service. And I was elected to be a representative and then to be speaker of the House. That is my focus 100% right now."

The legislative session begins on Jan. 21.

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